Pickup trucks are typically used to carry all types of materials such as groceries, furniture, construction materials, or farm equipment. One of the major reasons that pickup trucks are used for carrying all kinds of materials is because pickup truck beds have an open top with low sides and a tailgate that allow one to easily load and unload objects of different sizes and shapes.
However, a major problem with carrying materials in an open pickup truck bed is that the materials are exposed to the weather and are susceptible to blowing out of the truck bed during transport. In order to prevent the loss of materials during transport and to protect the contents of the truck bed from inclement weather, the top of the truck bed is often covered with a hard shell cover or a weatherproof tarpaulin which extends over the top of the truck bed. However, hard shell covers restrict the height of the materials being carried and tarpaulins are a set size that cannot be adjusted to the height of the load. Furthermore, tarpaulins must be stored when not in use and are susceptible to being lost or misplaced. In addition, attaching a tarpaulin with ropes is time consuming and awkward, particularly in the rain.
Several approaches to solving the problems with tarpaulins have been disclosed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,898,147 to Homer; No. 3,146,824 to Veilleux; and No. 4,563,034 to Lamb all show a retractable cover designed for covering a conventional bed of a pickup truck. However, each of these covers are made to go straight across the top of the sides of the pickup truck bed and do not provide for covering large items that extend above the sides of the bed of the truck. In addition, each of these covers requires that some part of the apparatus be bolted or attached to the truck body in such a way as to require that one or more holes be drilled in the truck body making the truck body susceptible to rust and corrosion.
Accordingly, a need exists for a satisfactory means for covering materials that are being transported in a pickup truck bed with a cover that is normally stored out of the way, but that can be quickly and conveniently installed over materials of different shapes and sizes to protect those transported materials from inclement weather.
A need also exists for a means for securing a storage box in a truck bed without penetrating the truck bed or having to modify the truck or truck bed.
Furthermore, a need exists for a means of covering materials that are in the bed of a pickup truck with a cover that is securely attached to the pickup truck without requiring the truck body itself be modified or pierced.